Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

Introduction to 3.7.3: Saṃvarasuttaṃ – How Can Right Effort Get Perfected?

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa

Introduction
to 3.7.3: Saṃvarasuttaṃ –

How can Right Effort get Perfected?

“Anto jaṭā bahijaṭā, jaṭāya jaṭitā pajā;

taṃ taṃ gotama pucchāmi, ko imaṃ vijaṭaye jaṭan”ti

“Sīle patiṭṭhāya naro sapañño, cittaṃ paññañca bhāvayaṃ;

ātāpī nipako bhikkhu, so imaṃ vijaṭaye jaṭaṃ.

Yesaṃ rāgo ca doso ca, avijjā ca virājitā1;

khīṇāsavā arahanto, tesaṃ vijaṭitā jaṭāti;

Yattha nāmañca rūpañca, asesaṃ uparujjhati2;

paṭighaṃ rūpasaññā ca, etthesā chijjate jaṭā3.

“A tangle inside
and a tangle in the outer world, people are entangled in a tangle.

Therefore
Gotama, this is what I ask you here – who can disentangle this tangle?”

A man firmly established
in virtue, wise, developing discernment and wisdom,

A Bhikkhu,
ardent and prudent –he can disentangle this tangle.

With greed, aversion
and ignorance all abandoned,

Arahants, their impurities
destroyed, for them the tangle is untangled.

Where mind and
body completely cease to be,

As well as sensory
reaction and perception towards form – that is where the tangle is cut off.

These verses concluded Bhante Nāgasenā’s reply to King Milinda
regarding the characteristics of sīla, quoted in the Sīlalakkhaṇapañho4. Likewise Bhadantācariya Buddhaghosa based the first chapters of his composition and
presentation of the Buddha’s teaching, known as Visuddhimagga, on these famous verses. Jaṭā – tangle refers to the
complex system of craving that encroaches through all the sense doors. Craving
may focus on the desires regarding one’s own psychic or material field – anto jaṭā – but also towards objects of the outer world – bahijaṭā. Similar to a brave man who stands on solid ground, upholds his
sharpened sword cutting himself to a thicket of bamboo this craving can be cut,
the tangle of yearning demolished by standing on the solid ground of sīla,
through pragmatic wisdom by applying the strength of effort and the knife of
wisdom gained through Vipassana with sharpened concentration5.

The present lesson, the Saṃvarasutta, focusses on a more detailed explanation of the Buddha
how to remain at guard and not to fall into the trap of yearning by putting
forth right effort and exertion:

·
How to ward off impacts
on the mind that would – by reacting to
these – result in unwholesome mental states—saṃvarappadhānaṃ.

·
How to reject mental waves of
greed, ill will and violence that – if welcoming them – likewise would result
in unwholesomeness—pahānappadhānaṃ.

·
How to develop mental qualities
that – if fostered and strengthened – lead
onwards on the path towards liberation—bhāvanāppadhānaṃ.

·
How to cultivate and maintain
focus on objects of concentration that help to nurture and deepen one’s samādhi—anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṃ.

The designations ‘wholesome mental states’—kusalā dhammā—and
respectively the adversary ‘unwholesome mental states’—pāpakā
akusalā dhammā—need to be
understood properly in this context. Anything that impedes, obstructs or
hampers the mental ability of a meditator to remain focussed on his chosen
object of meditation that distracts from the purpose of his meditation or entices
him towards worldly enjoyments falls under the category of pāpakā
akusalā dhammā. Anything that nurtures, supports and helps to
develop determination to keep in view one’s dedication to walk on the path and
to endorse the chosen object of meditation may classified as kusalā
dhammā.

For any earnestly striving
meditator it will be quickly apparent that all sort of input that impinges
itself on the mental continuum through any of the sense doors will attempt to
distract, divert and befuddle. Whether it may impose itself directly through
any sense door, by means of sullied thoughts, intruding imaginations, dreams or
fantasies, plans or memories – it all has the same effect of distraction and bewilderment6.
This distraction again may reveal itself in form of any of the five hindrances,
the pañcanīvaraṇa that delude the
mind, irritate mental focus and weaken the determination: kāmacchanda, byāpādo, thinamiddha, uddhaccakukkucca, vicikicchā7.

Variations of
sensual yearning may present themselves not only in their pre-dominant form as
sensual lust –kāmacchanda,
they may also intrude in the shape of all kind of desire towards worldly gain,
possession or fame. Byāpādo intrudes in different forms of strong negativity
from ill will to hatred mainly towards persons - but at times also directs
itself towards situations past and future – both spring from the unwholesome
deep roots of greed and aversion.

Whenever the mind gets dull, fed up and bored, drowsy, dozy
orlethargic ignorance presents itself in the
form of thinamiddha.
While here strong tendency towards sleepiness
deludes and distracts uddhaccakukkucca
intervenes with forceful inclination towards agitation, restlessness or apprehension
and worry. Powerful speedy and intense thoughts hasten through plans and ideas
and get interrupted through remorse, concern and fretfulness – all embodiments of ignorance. Doubt, distrust and misgiving towards
one’s practise ot teaching – vicikicchā – encroach to hinder resolution, commitment and effort on the path – again footing on ignorance. Buddha gives a strong warning about
these different variations of one’s own impediments, enemies, foes that can impinge
at any time: ‘‘Tayome,
bhikkhave, antarāmalā antarāamittā antarāsapattā antarāvadhakā antarāpaccatthikā.
Katame tayo?

Greed, Bhikkhus, is the inner stain, the inner
enemy, the inner foe, the inner murderer, the inner opponent. Aversion is, Bhikkhus,
is the inner stain, the inner enemy, the inner foe, the inner murderer, the
inner opponent. Delusion, Bhikkhus, is the inner stain, the inner enemy, the
inner foe, the inner murderer, the inner opponent. These three, oh Bhikkhus,
are the inner stains, the inner enemies, the inner foes, the inner murderers,
the inner opponents.”

Being able of putting forth effort, perseverance and
determination, of exerting oneself to maintain one’s practise and the object of
meditation unobstructed requires certain important prerequisites.In the Padhāniyaṅgasutta11 the Buddha points to five necessary pre-conditions, limbs of striving or
constituents of exertion to turn one’s efforts into successful progress: saddho, appābādho, amāyāvī,
āraddhavīriyo, paññavā 12:

Bhikkhus, there are five constituents of that support
endeavour. What are the five? Here a Bhikkhu is filled with faith, with faith
in the enlightenment of the Tathāgata: – ‘Such truly is he: freed from
impurities,having destroyed all mental defilements, fully enlightened by his own
efforts, perfect in theory and in practice, having reached the final goal,
knower of the entire universe, incomparable trainer of men, teacher of gods and
humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One’.

He has
only few ailments, rarely suffers from sickness, enjoys good digestion, with appropriate
consuming order, neither too hot nor too cold, suitable for striving. He is
neither fraudulent nor deceitful, he reveals himself towards his teachers, wise
one’s or colleagues on the holy life with the truth according to fact. He
exerts unyielding effort to get rid of unwholesome mental states, firm and
resolute in embracing wholesome mental states, not casting off his burden. He
is wise, full of wisdom perceiving the process of arising and passing and
endowed with wisdom that leads to the complete destruction of suffering. These,
Bhikkhus, are the five constituents of endeavour.

In another sutta20 the Buddha highlights five opposite factors -
asamayā
padhānāya -circumstances
that are unfavourable for exerting oneself: jiṇṇo hoti jarāyābhibhūto–
old and overcome by age; byādhito hoti
byādhinābhibhūto – ill and taken by sickness; dubbhikkhaṃ hoti dussassaṃ dullabhapiṇḍaṃ – famine, few crops and scarcity
of food – bhayaṃ hoti aṭavisaṅkopo21 – fear and unrest in the
woods; saṅgho bhinno hoti – schism in
the Saṅgha.

May
many encounter the good opportunity and get encouraged to adopt and embrace the
path while such favourable factors are available!

12 Compare also the Padhānasuttaṃ, Apaṇṇakavaggo, Dutiyapaṇṇāsakaṃ, Catukkanipātapāḷi,
Aṅguttaranikāyo for aa similar
explanation: ‘‘Catūhi, bhikkhave,
dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu apaṇṇakappaṭipadaṃ paṭipanno hoti, yoni cassa
āraddhā hoti āsavānaṃ khayāya. Katamehi catūhi? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlavā
hoti, bahussuto hoti, āraddhavīriyo hoti, paññavā hoti. Imehi kho, bhikkhave,
catūhi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu apaṇṇakappaṭipadaṃ paṭipanno hoti, yoni
cassa āraddhā hoti āsavānaṃ khayāyā’’ti. – A Bhikkhu, if endowed with four
qualities he has entered the assured path, from the very beginning designed for
the destruction of impurities. What are the four? Here, Bhikkhus, the Bhikkhu
is maintaining sīla, is well learned, upholds unyielding effort and is wise.
Bhikkhus, if endowed with these four qualities a bhikkhu has entered the
assured path, from the very beginning designed for the destruction of impurities.